John sends this Salon story about how Sen. Jesse Helms saved web radio for 6 months. Notice also how NPR got a secret sweetheart deal for its small affiliates that is not available to other small noncommercial radio stations.

It seems to me that the music labels should not be bargaining collectively. It is monopolistic. The RIAA is nothing but a criminal restraint of trade. And if the labels are making such monopolistic deals, then the deals should be public and available to anyone.

Furthermore, I don't think that any NPR affiliate should be allowed to call itself noncommercial or use radio bands that have been set aside for noncommercial use. NPR's All Things Considered broadcasts commercials. And I don't just mean pitches for donations. It has paid pitches for commercial products.

This story says RIAA has convinced the Naval Academy to search student computers and seize them if they have MP3 files on them. It seems to me that Navy students should be allowed to listen to music.